Jazz Notes: Which NBA Superstar Could Play For Utah Jazz?
Aug 22, 2023, 5:21 PM | Updated: 5:25 pm
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 07: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts while taking on the Utah Jazz in the first quarter at American Airlines Center on March 07, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Although Utah loves Lauri Markkanen, it’s perfectly normal to question who could be the best player on the Jazz in a few years.
On the Jazz Notes podcast, Ben Anderson and Chandler Holt went over the possibility of a superstar joining the Jazz.
Which NBA superstar could be the next to wear a Utah Jazz jersey? 🤔@BensHoops and @ChandlerHoltKSL go over the @utahjazz’s schedule, FIBA basketball, and more in this weeks episode of Jazz Notes. 🎵#TakeNote #NBA pic.twitter.com/dNN8nTT8Hd
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 22, 2023
After trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in 2022, the Jazz acquired a plethora of young talent and draft capital.
If a star were to become unsettled, Utah has the assets to offer a better deal than a lot of other NBA franchises.
The Jazz have assembled a massive package of assets — including 15 unprotected or lightly protected first-round picks through 2029 and a young core of Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kesslier, Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji and $60M-plus in potential cap space.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
However, there aren’t any stars who want out of their current team outside of Damian Lillard and James Harden.
Utah’s current roster’s average age is 25.1. So, trading for either of the 33-year-old guards is unlikely as they don’t fit the timeline.
Because of this, we have to speculate on who could fit well in Salt Lake City.
👇👇👇 https://t.co/2E4C5ndjZp pic.twitter.com/0s6UujqSsG
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) August 15, 2023
After a rough year in Dallas, some have raised questions about Luka Doncic’s future as a Maverick.
Doncic hasn’t shown any signs of wanting out. But, when a young superstar struggles to find success under the guidance of his organization, fans begin questioning their loyalty.
A perfect example of this is the end of LeBron James’ first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Doncic and the Utah Jazz have been linked in reports in the past.
REPORT: “Utah in particular is keeping a very interested eye on [Luka Doncic’s] situation.”
(via @johnhollinger, https://t.co/HI9MsCHDH3) pic.twitter.com/UknlHfxU6P
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 5, 2023
At the end of the day, ending up with a top-5 player is very unlikely.
Looking for more realistic options, we have to go to teams who may look to sell in the next few years.
Teams under this classification include the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Brooklyn Nets.
The Jazz have enough forwards and bigs. So, trading for Karl Anthony-Towns, Nikola Vucevic, or Nic Claxton seems redundant.
However, players like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Mikal Bridges could potentially fit well alongside Markkanen and Walker Kessler.
ESPN insiders vote Joel Embiid as the next star to request a trade
1. Joel Embiid (40% of total votes)
2. Zion Williamson (20%)
3. Karl-Anthony Towns (12%)
T-4. Trae Young (8%)
T-4. Kyrie Irving (8%)
T-5. Ja Morant (4%)
T-5. Donovan Mitchell (4%)
T-5. Luka Doncic (4%)— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 21, 2023
“When the right phone call comes, you go all in,” Anderson said. “Certainly Luka (Doncic) is the name for the Jazz. If he becomes available, there’s no wrong price.”
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
